One person has been arrested after a shooting at a high school in south-east France, authorities said Thursday.

An elite police operations unit was at the scene at the Alexis de Tocqueville school in the town of Grasse, the Prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes said.

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CNN's French affiliate BFMTV reported that a 17-year-old armed with a rifle, a handgun, a revolver and two grenades entered the high school at about lunchtime and opened fire at the headteacher.

Two people are injured, including the headteacher, according to BFMTV, and the armed individual has been arrested.

The school has been evacuated and is currently being searched, BFMTV said.

The French Interior Ministry tweeted that the security situation was ongoing and urged people to stay away from the area.

The Alpes-Maritimes Civil Protection agency also warned people to avoid the school and keep calm.

The French education ministry tweeted that schools in Grasse were in lockdown and appealed for students' families to stay away. Education Minister Najat Belkacem was on her way to the scene, the ministry said.